The CliftonStrengths Coaching Blog is a resource for those who want to help others truly understand their strengths and learn how to use them. Gallup experts and outside contributors share tactics, insights, and strategies to help strengths coaches maximize the talent of individuals, teams, and organizations everywhere.

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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Creating an Innovative School Culture With CliftonStrengths - Called to Coach S5E13

On a recent Called to Coach, we spoke with Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Darren Cox.

Darren Cox is a principal at St. Phillips Christian school primary/secondary school. Darren completed the CliftonStrengths assessment and a coaching session during a leadership course. He felt this was the first assessment that really “got him.” It was liberating and encouraging to him. He doesn’t fit the mold of a principal, but he learned that people can do all types of jobs using their strengths. If he benefited, how much could everyone else? So, he had his staff and students take the assessment as well.Strategy and steps?

In 3 years took school from 200 to over 1000 students

Had opportunity to create a tone and culture

Student and staff well-being is a major need these days

Had already started to introduce positive psychology; SF aligned perfectly

Spoke to senior leadership about SF; got some buy-in and interest; they all took the assessment

All 6 said it was the best thing they’ve ever done; they then shared their experience with it and how they now better understand themselves and their roles

Staff was chomping at the bit to get started

Assessment is good, but then what? We needed to budget and prioritize the consultation (coaching) to go along with it

We have open learning zones at our school; work as teams; but we don’t always get to set them up for success

Now, at the beginning of the year the teams can meet, talk about their strengths and better understand each other

When the team gels better, the students will have a better experience

The heart of leadership is to want good things for people

We’re on a treasure hunt, not a witch hunt; bring out the treasure and understand how we can best use each other

Strengths is common language across the school

You have to invest in people, spend time with them, listen to them, then resource and equip them

Students and employees go home every day knowing they were able to use their strengths in a positive way – that’s what it’s all about

It’s not just the “latest thing”; this is the journey we are on there

Schools help create community, culture and belonging

ROI? Board? Parents?

130 staff so this comes with a cost

Significant investment in students

We have parents’ night to make them aware of it

The feedback from staff surveys was overwhelmingly positive, which the board liked

We’ve never had to measure the impact of our choir

We’ve never had to measure the impact of our sports teams

But we have them and know they are important

So why should we have to measure the impact of strengths when we know the difference its making

But we are looking at what data we can collect on these intangibles

The emotional intelligence of staff has improved tremendously, but how do we measure that?

How are you bringing it into the campus day to day?

We started earlier so we could fit more time into our pastoral care

More opportunity for us to speak to well-being

We cast a vision that was compelling and people wanted to be a part of so we overcame any pushback

Everyone in the school is aware of everyone else’s strengths; they are on our learning mgmt. system

We use this in creating groups for various needs/activities

Think about what groupings will help people achieve outcomes

Include strengths in career discussions

Staff evaluations are now done around their strengths

Strengths are now part of our language at the school with both students and staff

Use strengths in discussions around student behavior issues

Students put their strengths on their CVs; they can talk about the benefit they can bring to a work site

Any talk about taking CliftonStrengths to the other schools/campuses? And within your own school what is the vision?

I’ve presented to the other principles and some are dipping their toe in the water

Head office have all taken it and had some coaching

Vocational educational training (VET) program is non-traditional program; with SF the retention rate among those students has increased; they also have more confidence in themselves; I’m not naughty, I’m just wired this way

Dynamic Alternative Learning Environment – currently work with leaders there; students are wired a bit different but are equally as important and can make a contribution

You’ve done a good job of establishing cultural touchstones

We have a Beyond award – going beyond in how they use their strength

We have a Maximizer award

It gives a common language that allows students to talk easier with teachers; has improved the culture on campus

Q&A

Top 5 for all but executive leadership who get all 34

We have a bank of activities that staff can do with students – two that work well are how do you like to receive feedback and “I learn best when…”

Teachers can offer alternative ways to do assignments

We model everything with staff; then they bring it into their class

Key indicators we measure are around staff well-being

Also retention rate and recruitment

What questions do you hear when you speak?

Most are about how to create a culture

How to be the best possible leader I can be and hold myself accountable

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As Principal of St Philip’s Christian College Cessnock, an innovative school situated on 100 acres in the Hunter Valley, Darren Cox is a passionate and transformational leader. Darren has developed a small country school of 250 to one of the most sought after schools in the region now catering for over 1000 students and projected to reach 1600. Darren is a confident and inspiring leader who has been involved in education for over 25 years. He is an empowering leader who has created a successful culture of professional learning and leadership development. Darren has used his strengths in strategic planning and change management to see improved literacy results and teacher quality improve across the school. He is an outstanding and motivating speaker who has a love for people and life and his vision, passion and enthusiasm are contagious. Darren's top five strengths are Woo, Strategic, Communication, Activator, and Positivity.Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Cheryl Pace, contributed to this post.